BONDING FIRE RETARDANTS TO WOOD. PART I. THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF CHEMICAL BONDING AGENTS1

Bonding chemicals to wood can alleviate the problem of leachability, but the effects of such bonding on woad orooerties are not vet well researched. Proovlene oxide. butvlene oxide. acetic anhvdride. and methyl isocyanate were bonded to southern pine, and the bonded wood's thermal properties were determined by thermogravimetric and evolved gas analysis. The initial decomposition temper-ature was significantly increased by epoxide bonding, slightly increased by acetyl bonding, and slightly reduced with isocyanate bonding as compared to nonhonded control. The amount of char generated during pyrolysis was nearly the same for the control, acetyl-, and isocyandte-bonded wood, and was reduced for epoxide-banded waod. The volatile decomposition products from the epoxide-bonded waod had a higher heat of combustion than those of the control, whereas the heat of combustion of volatiles from acetyl- and isocyanate.bonded wood was almost the same as that of the control. Kc,vwnr</,~: Fire retardants, handing agents. thermogravimetric analysis, thermal propertie